The business meetings to be held within the framework of the forum will act as a head start for a visit by Chinese businessmen to Greece in six months time, as part of a dynamic discussion for small- and medium-sized investments in Greece.

“In the first nine months of 2017, Chinese investments abroad; excluding the financial sector, totaled 78 billion US dollars in 5,159 enterprises from 154 countries. The medium value of each investment was 15 million US dollars. Only an extremely small percentage of these investments was directed to Greece, proof that there is huge potential for attracting investments in the country,” said George Floras, one of the organizers of the forum, talking to the Athens Macedonian News Agency (ANA).

The event is co-organised by Belt and Road Associates with the China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAFIEC), an organisation of the Commerce ministry of the People’s Republic of China, with the government of Xi’an.

This is the first such event about Greece to be organised in China. Greece will be the focus of attention for around 250 representatives of investment companies in China, which systematically invest abroad.

Speakers will present sectors of the Greek economy of special interest to foreign investors, such as state property privatisations, tourism and real estate, infrastructure, energy, mining, the banking sector, transport and logistics, pharmaceuticals, the agro-food sector, Golden Visa programme, innovation, technology and e-commerce. There will also be a presentation of the Greek stock exchange and selected listed companies.

CAFIEC specializes in investments abroad and its more than 1,000 members systematically invest in countries included in the Silk Belt Road. CAFIEC has organised similar forums focusing on other countries, such as Canada, Russia, Thailand, Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Slovenia, FYROM, Romania, Maldives, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Guinea.

With a population of around 10,000,000 people, Xi’an is one of the largest cities in China.